Tuesday, April 6, 2010

On Keynes

I thought this article was harsh, but I also thought that Rothbard did a thorough job of researching his material as well as using quotes and citing sources to back up his points.

It is interesting to read about Keynes’ back ground in the Apostles and how that influenced his world-view and outlook on life.The elitist superiority complex dominated the late 19th and early 20th centuries in both Britain and the United States, as evidenced by the imperialist policies of the two nations and concepts such as “Manifest Destiny”.It seems that Keynes took that view to a new level where whatever choice he made was the correct one.Free trade when it benefited him and his political maneuverings for power, and protectionist policies when they were expedient to his aims.

His character seems all too apparent from the fact that he used whatever means necessary to get to the top, including ostracizing and discrediting former close friends.

I think an interesting follow-up to this week would be to read an article or an excerpt of one of Keynes’ books to get a balanced perspective.